# Accident 19970715018569A: Lear 35A, Avon Park, FL, July 15, 1997 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 15, 1997, 19:53 local time - Place: Avon Park, FL - Airport: Avon Park Municipal Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Go Round (Aborted VFR) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 27.5897° N, 81.5073° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Avon Park, FL, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.5897&lon=-81.5073&mi=10 - Aircraft: N19LH, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N19LH-1998-12-22) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Gates Learjet 35A (registry code 5170602, https://openairdocs.org/model/gates-learjet-35a) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: LEAR 35A - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 20,076 total, 1,500 in this make and model, 194 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA97FA213](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA97FA213) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970715018569A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. UNSTABLE APPROACH LANDED LONG. USED BUCKETS. TRIED GO AROUND IN REVERSE THRUST HIT WIRES. REVERSER CABLES CORRODED. (.19) ON JULY 15, 1997, ABOUT 1953 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A GATES LEARJET 35A, N19LH, REGISTERED TO ORION AIRCRAFT SALES INC., CRASHED AFTER AN ABORTED LANDING AT AVON PARK, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CFR PART 91, POSITIONING FLIGHT. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT-RATED PILOT AND COMMERCIAL-RATED COPILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE FLIGHT HAD ORIGINATED FROM THE FORT LAUDERDALE EXECUTIVE AIRPORT, FLORIDA, THE SAME DAY ABOUT 1900. THE PILOT STATED WHEN HE TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RUNWAY 04, THE AIRPLANE SEEMED TO "LURCH" TO THE SIDE. HE SAID AT THIS POINT HIS AIRSPEED WAS 126 KNOTS. HE ELECTED TO ABORT THE LANDING, AND APPLIED FULL POWER. HE SAID THE ENGINES WOULD NOT DEVELOP THRUST AND HE ELECTED TO LAND IN A FIELD LESS THAN 1/4 MILE IN FRONT OF HIM. WITNESSES AT THE AIRPORT SAW THE FLIGHT CIRCLE ONCE OVER THE AIRPORT, APPROACH ON A LEFT BASE TO RUNWAY 04, TOUCH DOWN, AND TAKEOFF AGAIN. ONE WITNESS, A PILOT, SAID THE AIRPLANE TURNED ONTO FINAL TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE. THE AIRPLANE HAD PASSED THE RUNWAY NUMBERS WHEN IT MADE A "SHARP" TURN TO THE LEFT TO REALIGN WITH THE RUNWAY CENTER, SLIGHTLY OVERSHOT THE RUNWAY TO THE LEFT, TURNED TO THE RIGHT "SHARPLY," AND TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN THE RUNWAY. THE WITNESS SAW HEAT COME OUT OF BOTH ENGINE THRUST REVERSERS, THE NOSE GEAR TOUCHED DOWN AND THEN CAME UP AGAIN. THE WITNESS THEN SAW THE AIRPLANE COME OFF THE GROUND ABOUT 30 TO 40 FEET, WOBBLE LEFT AND RIGHT AT A "SLOW AIRSPEED," CROSSOVER A HIGHWAY AT A LOW ALTITUDE, RIGHT WING LOW, STRIKE SOME WIRES, GO INTO A FIELD, AND CATCH FIRE. EMANATION OF THE ENGINE THRUST REVERSERS REVEALED THAT THE LEFT ENGINE WAS RETRACTED AND THE RIGHT ENGINE WAS DEPLOYED. (.4)WITNESSES NEAR THE AIRPORT SAW THE FLIGHT APPROACH ON A LEFT BASE TO RUNWAY 4, TOUCHDOWN ON THE RUNWAY, AND TAKEOFF AGAIN. ONE WITNESS, A PILOT, SAID THE AIRPLANE TURNED ONTO FINAL TO THE 'SOUTH' (RIGHT) OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE.' THE AIRPLANE MADE A 'SHARP' TURN TO THE LEFT TO REALIGN WITH THE RUNWAY CENTER, SLIGHTLY OVERSHOT THE RUNWAY TO THE LEFT, TURNED TO THE RIGHT 'SHARPLY,' AND TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RUNWAY. THE WITNESS FURTHER STAT ED, '...BY THE TIME THE PILOT WAS ON THE RUNWAY HE HAD WASTED APPROXIMATELY 1,200 TO 1,500 FEET OF RUNWAY 4, THEY HIT REVERSE THRUSTERS [SIC] AND WERE ON FULL BORE TILL THEY CROSSED RUNWAY 27 AND 9.' THE WITNESS SAW HEAT COME OUT OF BOTH ENGINE THRUST REVERSERS, THE NOSE GEAR TOUCHED DOWN AND THEN CAME UP AGAIN. HE THEN SAW THE AIRPLANE COME OFF THE GROUND ABOUT 30 TO 40 FEET, WOBBLE LEFT AND RIGHT AT A 'SLOW AIRSPEED,' CROSSOVER A HIGHWAY AT A LOW ALTITUDE, RIGHT WING LOW, STRIKE SOME WIRES, GO INTO A FIELD, AND CATCH FIRE. THE PILOT SAID, WHEN HE TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RUNWAY, THE AIRPLANE SEEMED TO 'LURCH' TO THE SIDE. HE SAID AT THIS POINT HIS AIRSPEED WAS 126 KNOTS. HE ELECTED TO ABORT THE LANDING, AND APPLIED FULL POWER. HE SAID THE ENGINES WOULD NOT DEVELOP THRUST AND HE ELECTED TO LAND IN A FIELD LESS THAN 1/4 MILE IN FRONT OF HIM. EXAMINATION OF THE LEFT THRUST REVERSER REVEALED THAT THE TRANSLATOR WAS IN THE DEPLOYED POSITION, WITH THE BLOCKER DOORS FULLY OPEN. BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT PNEUMATIC LATCHES WERE FOUND IN THE UNLOCKED POSITION. EXAMINATION OF THE RIGHT THRUST REVERSER REVEALED THAT THE TRANSLATOR WAS IN THE DEPLOYED POSITION, WITH THE BLOCKER DOORS FULLY CLOSED. THE LEFT PNEUMATIC LATCH WAS FOUND IN THE LOCKED POSITION. THE RIGHT PNEUMATIC LATCH WAS FOUND IN THE UNLOCKED POSITION. THE INBOARD SEQUENCE LATCHES WERE FOUND ABOUT 2 INCHES FORWARD OF FULL AFT TRAVEL. THE THRUST REVERSER SWITCH WAS FOUND IN THE 'NORMAL' POSITION. ACCORDING TO GATES LEAR JET AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE (AD) 79-08-01, '...TO PRECLUDE INADVERTENT THRUST REVERSER DEPLOYMENT AND POSSIBLE LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL....,' THE FOLLOWING LIMITATIONS APPLY TO ALL GATES LEAR JET MODEL 35, 36, 35A, 36A, AIRCRAFT EQUIPPED WITH AERONCA THRUST REVERSERS. ACCORDING TO THE AD, SECTION I-LIMITATION; '....THRUST REVERSERS MUST NOT BE OPERATED PRIOR TO TAKEOFF...THRUST REVERSERS MUST NOT BE USED FOR TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS...AFTER THRUST REVERSERS HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED, A VISUAL CHECK OF PROPER DOOR STOWING MUST BE MADE PRIOR TO TAKEOFF...OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES IN THIS THRUST REVERSER SUPPLEMENT ARE MANDATORY.' ACCORDING TO LEAR JET AND FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL, THE PROCEDURES THAT ARE TAUGHT TO LEAR JET PILOTS IN THE USE OF THRUST REVERSE AND SPOILERS DURING LANDINGS ARE; '...PILOTS [ARE] TO USE THRUST REVERSE ONLY ON FULL STOP LEAR JET LANDINGS. PILOT ARE TRAINED NOT TO DEP PLOY SPOILERS OR THRUST REVERSE DURING TOUCH AND GO'S OR DURING BALKED LANDINGS.' THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND OF N19LH AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, TOLD THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE (IIC) THAT HE WAS 'AWARE' OF THE LIMITATIONS ON THE AERONCA THRUST REVERSER AND HE KNEW THAT ONCE THE THRUST REVERSER WAS DEPLOYED THAT HE WAS 'COMMITTED' TO LAND. THE PILOT TOLD THE IIC THAT HE KNEW OF THE LIMITATIONS AND THAT HE WAS COMMITTED TO LAND. (-23) DURING LANDING AT AVON PARK, FLORIDA (AV0), RUNWAY 4, PILOT ELECTED TO ABORT LANDING AFTER TOUCHDOWN AND SELECTING THRUST REVERSER. PILOT PLACED THRUST REVERSER LEVERS IN THE STOW POSITION AND ADVANCED THE THRUST LEVERS FOR THE BALKED LANDING. AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE WITH RIGHT THRUST REVERSER DEPLOYED AND LEFT THRUST REVERSER TRANSLATED AFT BUT NOT DEPLOYED. PILOT LOST CONTROL OF AIRCRAFT, CRASHED INTO A SOD FARM OFF AND TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY DEPARTURE END. AIRCRAFT DEMOLISHED, POST ACCIDENT FIRE. CVR RECOVERED AND FORWARDED TO NTSB FOR ANALYSIS. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB MIA97FA213](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA97FA213), Jul 15, 1997: Gates Learjet 35A (N19LH), Avon Park, FL, destroyed. Probable cause: a loss of engine power as a result of the thrust reversers being deployed and subsequent in-flight collision was wires. Factors in this accident were the pilot's disregard for procedures, and the… ## Other reports on N19LH (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19910515023979I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19910515023979I), May 15, 1991: Lear 35A (N19LH), Teterboro, NJ, Minor damage. Pilot struck the horizontal stabilizer of parked aircraft. Under direction of ground personnel at time. - [Incident 19870226009779I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19870226009779I), Feb 26, 1987: Lear 35A (N19LH), Medford, OR, Minor damage. Emergency landing after crew smelled smoke. Found a broken wiggins fitting on left anti ice bleed line. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.